For many, Omni, the new album from the Seattle-based band Minus the Bear is an introduction. However, as fans of the experimental rock band already know this is a band and a sound, that for years has escaped mainstream success, yet record after record saw their fan base only grow larger. On stage the music of Minus the Bear is undeniable from small club stages to major festivals. Until Omni however, harnessing their fearlessness for sonic boundary, seductive lyricism and muscular energy never seemed so easy.

Omni works on a variety of levels. The bands technical prowess and progressive nature has really never been in question and they deliver on sonic adventures again like "Secret Country." Songs like the standout single "My Time," which marries the bands experimental side with an undeniable pop hook, and "Hold Me Down" showcase the bands raw power and pure rock band ability. And perhaps the most appealing portion of Omni comes when the band offers their best attempt to create dance-grooves on the segued pair of songs "Into the Mirror" and "Animal Backwards."

It's easy to say that Minus the Bear, XPN's Artist To Watch for August, sound more accessible on Omni, and while that may be true the bands agility to shift shapes and sounds is anything but undemanding. Beneath the sonic layers of Omni, frontman and guitarist Jake Snider crafts a set of songs that explore sexuality and seduction that may be his best batch to date. What is easy to say about Omni is that it is a definitive point for this band and steady step forward.

Born, raised, and tested in the mecca for American rock 'n' roll, Seattle, Washington, Minus The Bear is just about ready to explode. The 5-piece group, consisting of members Jake Snider (guitar, lead vocals), Dave Knudson (guitar), Alex Rose (keyboards, backing vocals), Cory Murchy (bass), and Erin Tate (drums), joined forces in 2001, and after a myriad of EP's and LP's, have finally found their true sound.

Ever hard to classify, Minus The Bear has always mixed together a wide variety of influences to create a refreshingly unique taste that they can claim to be their own.However,even after nine years of pushing musical boundaries, the group has recently created what they believe to be "a stunning evolution to their sound and vision."

Minus The Bear's latest release,
Omni, blends together what the band describes as "city-stomping rock and deep funk grooves." In order to achieve this ground-breaking sound, the quintet had to search for an outside ear, which they found in producer Joe Chiccarelli (My Morning Jacket, The White Stripes, The Shins). But just how did this legendary producer get his desired sound out of the group? "He kicked us in the a** more than we've ever been kicked in the a** before," says guitarist Dave Knudson. Well, Chiccarelli's tactics worked wonders, and Minus The Bear has become one of the hottest outfits on the indie-rock scene.

Priding themselves in their live performance, Minus The Bear is now touring the world, bringing their energetic and spunky music to festivals, arenas, and clubs across the globe.